Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot: What We Know About Wanda Webb Holloway

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What's New

A Texas woman's plot to kill the mother of her daughter's cheerleading rival is being explored in a new documentary premiering on Wednesday.

The Texas Cheerleader Murder Plot delves into a crime that shook the town of Channelview, Texas, in 1991. Wanda Webb Holloway, a 36-year-old mother, was charged with solicitation of capital murder after she allegedly hired a hitman to kill another mother.

Who Were Amber and Verna Heath?

Amber Heath was a cheerleader at Alice Johnson Junior High in 1989 and 1990. Holloway's daughter, Shanna Widner, did not make the team. Holloway allegedly blamed Amber and her mother, Verna, for taking her daughter's spot.

What Did Wanda Holloway Do?

Holloway allegedly contacted her former brother-in-law, Terry Harper, and asked him to arrange a hit. Harper agreed and then contacted the sheriff's office. He agreed to wear a wire to collect evidence against Holloway.

Holloway initially asked Harper to arrange a hit on Amber and Verna, then settled on only killing Verna. Holloway allegedly thought that Amber would drop out of the cheerleading team if her mother were dead.

What to Know

Holloway was arrested and charged with solicitation of capital murder. She was convicted in 1991 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors relied on the recordings and Harper's testimony to build its case. The defense argued that Holloway's ex-husband, Tony Harper, had conspired with his brother to frame Holloway.

Her conviction was overturned, and a mistrial was declared after it was discovered that one of the jurors was on probation for a drug-related felony.

Holloway then pleaded no contest and accepted a plea deal. She was sentenced to ten years in prison and was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 in 1996.

The Heath family also sued Holloway. She settled the lawsuit by paying $70,000 to Verna and her husband, $30,000 to her children and $50,000 to cover the legal expenses of the case.

Where Is Wanda Holloway Now?

Holloway was released from prison on March 1, 1997, after serving six months of her sentence. She served the remaining nine and a half years on probation.

The documentary features an interview with Widner, who speaks about "her mother's true motivations, how she coped with her mother's actions, and who was secretly pulling the strings behind the curtain to set Wanda Holloway up," according to an ID press release.